Leaf beetle

Leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae), any of approximately 35,000 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) that occur throughout the world but are concentrated in the tropics. They are oval-shaped and short-legged, with the antennae about half the body length, and tend to be less than 12 mm (0.5 inch) long. Many are important leaf-feeding pests that feed on crop and ornamental plants. The family is divided into numerous subfamilies.

Lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii).

Keith Edkins

Learn More in these related articles:

The Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles) vary from simple egg-shaped forms to slender, flat, or wedge-shaped ones, with wide elytra in the tortoise beetles and often numerous spines or tubercles in the leaf-mining leaf beetles (Cassidinae). The Bruchinae (seed beetles, or bean weevils) are short and stumpy, with short stout legs. The head, slightly elongated in front, is similar to that of some...